Electrical power from photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbines, and other sources of electrical power tends to be variable, depending upon real-time environmental conditions including temperature, luminescence, cloud cover, snow, wind velocity, and any other relevant factors. Electricity produced by such power sources must be converted from its native delivery state, such as direct current or variable frequency alternating current, to the U.S. standard of 60 Hz alternating current (or, in many countries, 50 Hz alternating current) before the power can be supplied to a power grid.
Power converters are available in a variety of capacities, and the efficiency of power conversion is an important factor in designing and installing new variable power sources. Thus, the choice of a power converter of a specific size or capacity may impact the efficiency of power generation and delivery, and presents challenges in the planning and design stages of any new variable power facility. Power sources located in different environments, such as, for example, southwest desert or forested mountainous regions, have different outputs that may be optimized by using a power converter whose energy yield and efficiency are greater than other power converters operating in the same environment. However, absent a side-by-side comparison, it is difficult to determine which of a variety of power converters will provide the optimal performance. What is needed is a way to determine what power converter will provide optimal efficiency for a specific power source type that will be installed in a predetermined location.